Looking for the perfect escape to enjoy summer’s simple pleasures? Families will have fun with Luca, the latest feature from the illustrious Pixar Animation studios. It’s everything a lazy summer afternoon should be: warm, welcoming, uncomplicated and easy-going.
What’s disappointing is that…that’s all it is. The movie lacks the dramatic heft the studio is known for, and while fun for kids, you’d think a semi-aquatic adventure on Italy’s seaside coast would have more depth. Instead of swimming or sinking, Luca merely floats along the service.
Title character Luca (Canada’s Jacob Tremblay, best known for Room and Wonder) is a young sea “monster” living in a quaint underwater village. His boring, simple life gets new air when he meets fellow youngster Alberto (Jack Dylan Glazer) who shows him the world on dry land - when the creatures can mysterious change form into humans.
What follows are their 1950s misadventures through the small Italian town of Portorosso, first to buy their own Vespa scooter (yes, really) and then helping their new human friend Giulia (newcomer Emma Berman) to win the town’s big annual team race.
At its best, the three kids learning about new friendships are nostalgic and sincere. The sweetest thing is watching their mutual goals evolve and them learning to trust each other, because it’s tough being a fish out of water - sometimes literally!
Yet Pixar movies normally go further in highlighting these deeper themes. How do we connect with those different from us? How do we stand up for ourselves and our friends? What do we do when everything we think we know about someone else turns out to be wrong?
None of these impact the story for more than a few seconds when a character has a line or two, and by then the summer hijinks have moved on. It makes the movie feel mediocre, and yes, mediocre Pixar is still above average from most titles. There’s also a reason why the expectations are higher.
Speaking of feeling different, there’s a lot in the technical department that makes Luca feel different. The animation, and especially its human characters, are highly stylized, which is a big departure for a studio with a 30-year track record of animating realistic human characters.
Another odd thing is having half the main cast voiced by North Americans, while the other half is made of authentic Italian actors. It’s disjointed to the ears, and director Enrico Casarosa (a Pixar vet making his feature length debut) lets these small details slide.
The good news is the story gets increasingly exciting, and after the first slow half an hour the adventure in town with Giulia (the scene-stealer) gets things going.
Casarosa based the story on his own childhood growing up in Italy, and while the film’s style is a big change from how Pixar normally looks, sounds and feels, it’s still highly enjoyable and clearly emotionally resonant. His passion for home is here; what’s missing is his authenticity.
It’s only Pixar’s second best movie about fish, and truthfully, among the bottom feeders among the studio’s whole catalog. It’s also a calm, refreshing and bright film about friends learning to work together.
Luca is forgettable for its lack of depth. And your family can still appreciate its warmth throughout the warm summer ahead.
Luca
7 out of 10
G, 1hrs 36mins. Animated Family Fantasy Comedy.
Directed by Enrico Casarosa.
Starring Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Jim Gaffigan and Marco Barricelli.
Now streaming on Disney+ for subscribers.
